Mac Os Big Sur On Virtualbox

Since macOS Catalina users haven’t been able to run 32-bit apps anymore. While many apps’ creators developed new, 64-bit versions of the apps by now, there are still some applications and plugins that can only run on 32-bit Macs. If you need to run a 32-bit app on Big Sur, you can do it with the help of a virtual machine.

Is there any way I'm able to use the Virtualbox in the macOS Big Sur? Here are some details: macOS: Big Sur 11.0 Beta (20A5343i) Virtualbox version: 6.1.12 r139181 (Qt5.6.3) After upgrade, when I launch the machine, it pop out the dialog saying: Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908) Make sure the kernel module has been loaded successfully. Virtualbox has the option for a MacOS virtual machine in it’s New VM dialog, but we will need to make further adjustments to make it truly Mac-ready. Pop open Virtualbox, and Create a new Virtual Machine. Name this MacOS Mojave, and set it to Mac OS X (64-bit). The macOS Big Sur developer beta has several errors that can crash your data and you won’t be able to restore it back. Therefore, install macOS Big Sur on Virtualbox and check all the new features of macOS Big Sur with new improvement. Virtual machines allow. Here’s how to run macOS Big Sur on VirtualBox: Install Catalina on VirtualBox Download Big Sur InstallAssistant.pkg (9GB) either inside the virtual machine or on the host on a disk image that will be mounted on the virtual machine. Windows can create and mount VHD disk images through Disk Management. Note: This option is available only for roughly 30 minutes after a fresh install of VirtualBox. If this message does not appear, uninstall VirtualBox by opening your “Applications” folder and then dragging the VirtualBox app to the Trash.

Virtual machines allow you to install and open an earlier version of macOS (for example Mojave) in a window on your Mac Big Sur or Catalina. You will be able to run two operating systems at the same time, which is handy if you want to open a single 32-bit app alongside your 64-bit Mac applications. However, when you run a virtual machine, your computer’s resources are split between the two operating systems, so everything may run slower than usual.

Popular virtualization apps for macOS are Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and VirtualBox. This article will cover pros and cons of using VMware Fusion, VirtualBox and Parallels.

Install 32-bit apps on macOS Big Sur With Parallels Desktop

Parallels Desktop is very intuitive and easy-to-use for regular computer users. You can open another operating system in a separate window (including a full screen mode), or you can turn on Coherence mode. In Coherence mode the virtual machine will run in the background, while 32-bit programs can run alongside your regular Mac apps. Parallels Desktop allows you to copy and paste or drag and drop between both OS’s without any problems.

Parallels Desktop prices start at $79.99, however there is a free trial period available.

Get 32-bit apps on macOS Big Sur With VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion is another popular virtualization software for Macbooks. It is close to Parallels in terms of functionality and pricing, but VMware’s Fusion supports a larger number of operating systems than Parallels. On the other hand, Parallels is easier for beginners, and runs a little smoother. Otherwise, these two programs are approximately on the same level.

VMware Fusion offers a free trial period to its users, same as Parallels, so you may try both for free and decide which one you like better, before committing.

Install 32-bit apps a Mac Big Sur Via VirtualBox

If you don’t plan to spend extra money on virtualization software, there’s always VirtualBox by Oracle. VirtualBox is a pretty decent free alternative to paid software if not slower, less polished and missing some handy functions. If you need to run some resource intensive apps on a virtual machine, VirtualBox might not be the best choice for you. VirtualBox also requires more technical knowledge than, for example, Parallels, as users need to tune some settings themselves when installing it. However, if you are a power user already or don’t mind doing a little more work, and you are not going to run resource intensive software, VirtualBox is a good (and free!) alternative.

After I upgraded my Mac OS from version 10.15.7 to Big Sur 11.0.1, the Virtualbox VM crashed all the time. Erro message is below:

Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)

Make sure the kernel module has been loaded successfully.

where: suplibOsInit what: 3 VERR_VM_DRIVER_NOT_INSTALLED (-1908) - The support driver is not installed. On linux, open returned ENOENT.

I did a few searches on the web, it seems the problem occurred when the VirtualBox kernel driver is not loaded or permission is not right. In my case, it is related to the security setting in Mac OS. I need to provide permission to system modules from Oracle.

Note: This message only popup after you have new installation of Virtualbox.

I tried to reinstall Virtualbox a few times in my Mac to allow this, but did not work for me. Then I found another procedure with CMD line from web.

Source: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/19795

Apparently, there was a long discussion since Big Sur beta was released. Fortunately, there was a solution tested and posted by NickyD at the bottom of the thread.

Tested by NickyD: VirtualBox 6.1.16 r140961 running on BigSur macOS 11.0.1 (20B29) / Darwin 20.1.0

Tested by me: Virtualbox Offical release 6.1.16 ( r140961 (Qt5.6.3)) + BigSur MacOS11.0.1 (first public release of Big Sur), It worked well for me, too.

Step 1: sudo kextload -b org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxDrv

Step 2: Go into System Preferences->Security & Privacy

Step 3: Unlock the security center

Step 4: Approve the software by Oracle

Step 5:

Big Sur Virtualbox Image

sudo kextload -b org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetFlt sudo kextload -b org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetAdp sudo kextload -b org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxUSB

Step 6: Reboot

Info about Virtualbox kernel modules: https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/UserManual.html#externalkernelmodules

VBoxDrv: VirtualBox Linux kernel driver
VBoxNetFlt and VBoxNetAdp: network driver
VBoxUSB: USB support

I was not familiar with kextload, so I summarize some info collected from https://osxdaily.com/2015/06/24/load-unload-kernel-extensions-mac-os-x/

kext is Kernel extensions for short, which are modules of code that are loaded directly into the kernel space of Mac OS X, able to run at a low-level to perform a variety of tasks. Most kexts are part of the core Mac OS X system software, typically hardware device drivers, but some third party apps will install a kext as well.

kextload: cmd to load a kernel extension into Mac OS X.

sudo kextload /path/to/kext.kext

kextload -b: use the bundle identifier (which are frequently the targets of defaults commands)

sudo kextload -b com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle

Either way, hit return and with the entry of the administrator password the kernel extension will be loaded into Mac OS X.

Virtualbox Install Big Sur

kextstat: list the kernels loaded

$ kextstat |grep com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle 125 0 0xdddddd7f23351040 0x5000 0x5000 com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle (1) 12 8 7 5 4 2 1

kextunload: unload a kernal extension.

sudo kextunload -b com.apple.driver.ExampleBundle

Or by pointing directly to the kernel extensions path:

Virtualbox Big Sur Vdi

sudo kextunload /System/Library/Extensions/ThirdPartyMystery.kext